Police Set Scene for More Relational Approach to Crime

“The Police are setting the
scene for a change in the way government agencies reduce
crime”, says Rethinking Crime spokesperson Kim Workman. He
was referring to the Dompost article of 8 Feb ‘Killing
Gangs with Kindness”, in which the Police Minister
announced a new approach to dealing with gangs.This
approach involves building circles of trust with those gang
members that want something different for their children,
and themselves. It focuses on strategies such as parenting
programmes, early childhood education, out-of–school
activities, and directing gang members toward work, health
and addiction services, and educational opportunities. It
also targets those gang members actively engaged in crime.

“Justice Reform advocates have been proposing this
approach for some years now – but there has been a
reluctance to do anything that doesn’t look ‘tough on
crime’. But when approaches of this kind reduce gang
related crime by 73%, as happened in New York, the public
will support it. The Police Minister and Deputy
Commissioner Mike Bush must be congratulated.”

“But
something else is happening. This is one of a series of
initiatives introduced by the Police, which relies for its
success on developing positive relationships with those
within gangs and the community that want positive change.
The Police, because of their daily contact with the
community, understand better than most justice sector
agencies that offender transformation doesn’t happen
within treatment programmes.

The locus for behavioural
change lies not within individuals undergoing cognitive
behavioural programmes – it truly happens when families,
whanau are involved and are there to hold offenders
accountable, and provide the support necessary for change to
occur. Most institutional programmes don’t factor in that
support.”

“It is therefore important to ensure
that resources are channelled into community and voluntary
organisations that have access to willing community members
and volunteers who can support change. Last week we saw the
demise of the Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Trust, after
130 years of faithful service to the community. As such
groups are carved out of the action, rehabilitation and
reintegration resources are being redirected to clinicians
and private health providers. They will only do what they
are paid to do. The social value offered by civil society
and not-for-profit organisations is being lost”.

“What I think the Police understand better than anyone
else, is that changes don’t occur through policies of
suppression and control. They occur through building
relationships and networks, which support offenders and
prisoners, long after they are offend, receive treatment, or
are released from prison. If those networks are in place,
then it is possible for primary prevention to occur, which
in turn leads to a genuine reduction of social harm within
the community.”

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